Hip fractures are a major cause of morbidity in the United States. The combination of decreased bone density and conditions affecting stability during ambulation make the elderly particularly susceptible to hip fractures.
There are several strategies for decreasing the incidence of hip fractures in the elderly. One strategy is to increase bone density through diet, exercise and the administration of exogenous substances such as estrogen. Another strategy is to increase the safety of the home and work place.
Further, there are a number of inventions which attempt to protect the hip through structures which absorb or disperse energy transmitted to the hip during a fall. These inventions have met with limited success, partly because they have poor acceptance among the elderly. Their poor acceptance is due to a number of factors, including difficultly putting on and removing the inventions and inadequate comfort for long-term wear.
Thus, there remains a need for a garment which protects the hip and is acceptable for use by the elderly. Ideally, the garment would be easy to put on and to remove by a person of advanced age. Also, the garment should be comfortable to wear for an extended period. For example, the garment would be lightweight by having padding in the areas needed to protect the hip, while avoiding extraneous padding such as would be present in garments designed for other uses. Further, the garment should be substantially permeable to water vapor so as not to create a problem with skin breakdown underneath. It would, therefore, be advantageous to have a protective garment for the hip having these features.